Author: csDevTeam

Having an area in your backyard to congregate is a necessary choice. A fireplace or a fire pit is the perfect option, especially during these cold winter months. The problem is: a fireplace or fire pit? There are different uses for each, each with their own pros and cons. Beyond that, you can decide if your fire will be gas or wood-burning. We will discuss both options more in-depth, in hopes of helping you make an informed decision:

Fireplaces are a classic part of the house, and are traditionally a way to heat your home — but they can be just as useful when placed outside. An outdoor fireplace can be very architecturally pleasing and can be customized to fit the architecture and décor of any patio/backyard area. They can be built from brick and stone or block. There are multiple chimney options as well, including masonry and reinforced concrete and clay. Fireplaces can also be large enough to provide privacy for yourself, family, and friends in your backyard. Through strategic placement, your fireplace can provide a barrier between you and any neighbors’ prying eyes. These style and placement options can come together to provide an intimate backyard setting. The downfall of fireplaces is that they can be more expensive than a fire pit and may require a permit. They can also be difficult for a large group of people to gather around, due not only to the limited size of the face but also its limited ability to produce heat.

A fire pit can be much more cost-effective to install than a fireplace, as there are not so many parts. Since people can feel the heat from all sides of a fire pit you are able to have a much larger crowd gather around it. Fire pits can provide a more relaxing, laid back, and fun outdoor environment. Children are not left out when gathering around a fire pit, as they can easily roast marshmallows or other snacks in it. One of the negatives of choosing a fire pit is that it requires more of your patio seating area, as they are generally placed in the center of it. There are also fewer architectural options with a fire pit, therefore generally making them a less architecturally pleasing option.

If you need more information about fireplaces and fire pits, and which would work best for your space, contact Santa Rita Landscaping. We can be reached by phone at (520) 623 0421, or by email at info@srlandscaping.com.

Last month, Santa Rita Landscaping was honored at The Arizona Landscape Contractors’ Association’s 36th annual Arizona “Excellence in Landscaping Awards”. The landscaping awards program took place Saturday, November 17, 2012 at the beautiful Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain in Marana. Santa Rita Landscaping was thrilled to be a part of the wonderful awards event.

For those who are unfamiliar: The Arizona Landscape Contractors’ Association Awards Program accepts applications for projects that have been designed and constructed in Arizona by professional contractors. Awards are given to those projects that demonstrate the highest landscape quality, provide unique solutions to problems, conserve natural resources, and enhance the environment.

This year Santa Rita Landscaping was proud to receive not one, but three awards. These new additions bring our total number of awards to 21 since 2003! Our categories this year included:
-Judges Award for the Ponder Residence, a Single Family Residential Installation under $25,000.
-Judges Award for the Cooper Residence, a Single Family Residential Installation between $25,000 and $50,000.
-Award of Distinction for the UniSource Energy Building, a Commercial Installation between $100,001 and $175,000.

For further details on the Arizona Landscape Contractors’ Association Awards Program you can call (602) 626-7091 or visit the website at www.AZLCA.com.

As we celebrate both our accomplishments and the holidays this season, keep this friendly reminder from the experts in mind. The desert winter is here in full force, meaning it is time to remember to keep an eye on your water systems. Although it might not always seem like it, we can still reach freezing temperatures here in the Southwest. These cold temperatures have been known to burst pipes, something you definitely do not want to have to deal with during this busy time of year.

For award winning residential landscaping and commercial construction service please keep Santa Rita Landscaping in mind. We can be reached by phone at (520) 623 0421, or by email at info@srlandscaping.com.

Well, it’s that time of year again. With the winter season approaching, now is the time to start preparations for winterizing your irrigation pipes. Even though we might not have to “dig out” like the folks in, say….the New England states, we Tucsonans can still commonly see surprisingly low digits from time to time throughout the season.

Considering the ever-changing weather patterns and the possibility of drastic fluctuations in the temperature, it is recommended that you should know how to winterize your water pipes and water features in order to keep them from freezing up. Otherwise, a frozen water pipe can often swell and burst, causing a lot of inconvenience to your life, time and finances. For a small investment of time and money, you can help reduce the headache that goes along with a broken water pipe.

Winterizing your pipes also contributes to a more energy efficient lifestyle, thereby lowering energy costs in the overall scheme of things. With the money you’ll save on the electric bill, you could buy mocha lattes or fuzzy slippers or whatever else helps you stay warm and toasty. We don’t know about you, but to us, that sounds a lot more fun than having to shell out money for a broken water pipe repair.

There are many helpful resources and tips on the internet that show, step-by-step, how to winterize your pipes and water features. If you’ve had a drip irrigation system installed in your yard, then Santa Rita Landscaping recommends that in order to insure the proper operation of your system; the valve, brass anti-syphon, Y filter and pipe above ground, all need to be well-insulated every winter to protect from freezing.

This can be accomplished by using some type of wrap insulation on the main water supply pipe and anti-syphon, that is above ground. You can purchase an Insulation Bag that will cover the anti-syphon, from local irrigation suppliers. If your valve is located in an underground valve box, it is usually protected; however you may want to lay a piece of insulation in the box on top of your valves to better help insulate them.

Fountains and water features, if not completely drained, should be kept running during times when the thermometer drops below 32 degrees. This will help to prevent pumps and lines from breaking due to water freezing.

The pipe or flexible poly tubing after the valve is generally protected from freeze as this pipe is installed after the valve and only has water in it while the system is running. When the water is running, it is less likely to freeze.

In the rush and commotion that fills our modern-day society and lives, a place of peace and tranquility will help to offset the load of the daily stresses we encounter. Enter: the meditation garden.

Throughout the years of history, many different civilizations and cultures have employed the use of meditation gardens in an aim to provide a place of retreat and to create an atmosphere that evokes a soothing calmness and which fosters a deeper feeling of connectedness to nature.

Though more recent Benedictine abbeys and monasteries have typically featured large and formal designs, Santa Rita Landscaping will be happy to help you create one on a smaller scale that will work perfectly for you and your surroundings.

We are proud to feature an example of our donated fountain in this recently completed Benedictine Monastery Meditation Garden. Santa Rita Landscaping worked in conjunction with Turner Designs LLC and many others on this successful project and we wish to thank them.

Giving lots of their time and energy to help design the area, move and remove tons of dirt and gravel, install the irrigation, and do the planting, are:

*Bob Grimes and his crew, clearing the area with his Bobcat.
*the Landscaping Volunteer Committee
*the Knights of Columbus
*Northwest Landscaping

Civano’s Nursery supplied plants and trees, and Rudy Hodges donated a beautiful bench that he made. The large and lovely flower pot was provided by Glazed Expressions Pottery and Santa Rita Landscaping gave the time and materials necessary for installing the beautiful fountain.

Garrett Ham, a sponsor of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers, and Dustin Hancock, Landscape Architect, helped the Davis Family transform their backyard into an inviting place for themselves and their tortoises.  Garrett collaborated with Al Samanas from Continental Products to create a backyard that the Davis family can enjoy day after day. Shade sails, a water feature, and other amenities designed for people and tortoises were arranged to create a beautiful and relaxing oasis for the Davis Family.

Tortoise amenities included burrows discretely and artfully worked into the landscape mounding, forage friendly plantings, and a shallow “bench” worked into the water feature to allow the two Sonoran Desert Tortoises access to the water.  The Tortoises feel so at home that they have laid a nest of over a dozen eggs since the project’s completion, expected to hatch soon.

On October 4^th, the Tucson chapter of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers, APLD, created a special Oktoberfest event where guests could take in the October weather while enjoying the work of Garrett, Dustin, and Al at the Davis’ home.  Guests were able to appreciate their work while receiving  a garden tour, a barbeque demonstration, and explanations of shade sails and how to use them.

Another contributor to the event was Arizona Hearth & Grill. They grilled bratwursts for the guests and Garrett and Al provided other delicious German refreshments.

The beautiful location, the beautiful air, the authentic food, and the natural and creative challenge associated with this year’s APLD Oktoberfest are not anything that Garrett of Santa Rita Landscaping and the Davis family are soon to forget.